HeartBeat
by Blogosaurusrex13
Summary: Tris meets a man one night that would change her life forever. Not everyone will be happy when she finally realizes that she deserves better. Modern day take on the story, character appearance is similar to the movies but that it the only Divergent theme running through. Quite a dark story.
1. Chapter 1

**All characters have similar appearances to the movie characters but not necessarily the same personality overall. Some mature themes.**

The music pulsed through me, my heart racing. The taste of alcohol on my tongue making my inhibitions fade away. I needed to get away from the thoughts swirling round in my head. My body moved to the beat as I lost myself in the noise of the crowded club. Nobody knew me here. I could be whoever I wanted to be. My black dress clung to me and my hair stuck to the nape of my neck. I ran my fingers through my hair as I swayed my hips, I am by no means a dancer but I loved feeling so free. The song changed and I made my way towards the bar. It was a weekend so the place was packed. I waited to be served, propping myself up on the bar by my elbows in an attempt to catch the bartenders attention.

"I doubt that will work, I already tried making sexy eyes at him" The guy beside me said, laughing.

He towered above me – about a foot taller – and, if it weren't for the way he leaned against the bar causally, his muscly physique would have been intimidating. His dirty blond hair was cut short and his arms were covered in tattoos that disappeared underneath the sleeves of his black shirt - the long sleeves were rolled up to just below his elbow. My eyes were drawn to his lips where his tongue played absentmindedly with the metal piercing. _Damn, I had always had a thing for lip rings_. He had a glint in his blue-green eyes as he smirked down at me.

I laughed back at him, "I'd have loved to see that, but maybe I'm more his type"

"Most definitely, how could you not be" His eyes raked over me and he winked when he caught me watching him.

"I'm Tr…" _Not tonight. Nobody knows me here._ "Courtney" I smiled at him seductively, no idea where this sudden confidence came from.

"Eric, nice to meet you" He held his hand out to shake mine but it lingered a while, his eyes glued to mine making it hard to breath. His hand was big and strong but still soft. The way his eyes locked with mine was mesmerizing. I could get lost in eyes like those.

"What are you drinking?" I asked, breaking the tension. I could feel the blush creeping into my cheeks as he moved closer to me. He gestured to his glass containing a deep brown liquid with ice. Whisky. A man after my own heart.

We got our drinks and I took his hand, dragging him back with me to the dancefloor. I turned to face him, biting my lip and I reached out to grab his hands and place them on my hips. He pulled me closer to his body as we swayed to the music. I ran my hands up his chest and round his neck, his muscles tensing under my touch. My fingers tangled in his hair as I felt his breath against my neck, he nibbled on my ear lobe and placed soft kisses along my jaw. He pulled back and looked into my eyes, a sexy grin on his face. His eyes were glassy from the drink, I didn't care. I pressed against him and pushed up on my tiptoes to kiss him. Our lips parted, our tongues swirling around each other. I felt him moan against my mouth as he took my lower lip between his teeth. I was brought out of my trance like state staring into his eyes and was almost knocked off my feet by a drunk guy pushing past. Eric's arms went round my waist to steady me. I was so caught up in him. What am I doing? I need to some air. Being close to him was doing things to my head. I turned and slipped through the crowd and outside, I just kept walking across the street to the stone steps outside some office building. I sat down, letting the cold of the stone seep into my bones and anchor me to reality. My head was spinning, I held my face in my hands trying to get the ground to stop swaying.

I heard someone clearing their throat and looked up between my fingers. It was Eric, he was holding a bottle of water and his coat.

"Hi, eh... I thought you could do with some water. Is everything ok?" He sat down beside me and put his coat around my shoulders. The smell of his cologne surrounded me and made me feel safe. It felt like home. I took a sip of the water and nodded.

"Yeah I'm good, just needed air" I peeked up at him through my eyelashes. He was watching me intently, I could see the worry in his eyes.

"Really, I'm alright." I tried to reassure him, nervously playing with the long sleeves on my dress. "You don't have to stay with me, think I'm going to head home anyway"

"I know we just met but I'm not letting you walk home yourself, it's late and it's dark." He insisted, "Let me walk you home or call you a taxi at least" I was going to argue but I didn't really fancy walking alone and there was something about him that made me trust him immediately. I'd be safe with him.

I agreed to let him walk with me figuring the fresh air would do me some good. It was the other side of town but that didn't seem to bother him. We walked in comfortable silence and every now and then he would ask me questions. From where I work – I'm a writer so work from home – to what my favourite colour was – green. He hung on my every word and I have to admit that it was nice to have someone be genuinely interested in what I had to say for a change. Occasionally our arms would brush and I could feel current of electricity flow through our skin where it touched.

We were almost at my house when I felt panic spike in my chest. I could feel my heart breathing in my ears as my breath quickened. I wasn't ready to go home just yet. His eyes were watching me, I hadn't noticed that I had stopped walking.

"Come on." I didn't think, I just grabbed his hand and made my escape. At the end of the street we walked straight through the overgrown canopy of pine trees. My feet carried me through the familiar darkness – I knew this place too well. The trees grew sparse as we came to an opening, a small, almost circular clearing. The dirt was covered by fallen pine needles and in the centre was an enormous rock. I had always thought it looked like it had fallen from the sky, making a path through the tops of the trees to the spot it lay. I made my way over and sat on the rock, pulling Eric to sit beside me. From this point we were completely surrounded by trees, the confinement strangely comforting to me. The moon lit up the clearing and from the darkness you could make out the constellations so clearly.

I looked over to Eric who hadn't said anything since I grabbed his hand, which I still held tightly between both of mine. He was taking in the surroundings, his mouth slightly agape as he appreciated the simple beauty of this place. He saw me looking and smiled down at me.

"What is this place?" His smile made his eyes glistened with emotion that could take my breath away.

"I come here to get away from the world." I smiled sheepishly back at him. I had never shown anyone else this place, it was my own sanctuary, but it felt right to bring him here. It made no sense to me but I just went with it.

He squeezed my hand reassuringly, "It's beautiful." He reached up and tucked a loose bit of hair behind my ear, the small touch setting my skin on fire. He took my chin in his hand and pulled me up to look at him. I leaned up the last few inches until our lips met. In that moment nothing else was real but him and me. I rested my hands on his chest and his went to my hair, pulling me closer to him. My lips parted and our tongues swirled together, I stifled a moan. His hands traced down my back and to my thighs. He lifted me onto his lap so I was straddling him. The kisses became more passionate, hungry, and I pulled back to take a breath. His lips were on my neck, nipping and soothing along my jaw as his hands tangle in my hair, pulling slightly making a small whimper escape my lips.

He lifted his head up and looked quizzically at my hair. "What is it?" I asked nervously, my hands flying up to my hair to see what he was looking at.

"You have like a thousand pine needles tangled in your hair" He chuckled as he tried futilely to pick them all out. It hadn't crossed my mind the state I probably looked. I covered my face with my hands and buried my head in his chest. I laughed nervously, mortified that I was such a mess. He wrapped his arms around me, holding me to him.

"It's alright, even with half a tree in your hair you are still the most beautiful girl I have ever met" He kissed the top of my head and I adjusted myself so I was leaning my head on his shoulder. Being with him was so effortless. I don't know how long we stayed like that – his arms around me, his thumb tracing patterns on my arms making me shiver – but the sun was beginning to come up when we left. We kissed goodbye and I walked round the corner to my house in the orange glow of the sunrise.


	2. Chapter 2

My fingers felt the tingle on my lips, unsure if any of it had been real. I bit my lip in an attempt to stop the huge smile that spread across my face but didn't succeed. I took out my key and unlocked the door to my townhouse. It was far too big and lavish for my taste but it wasn't up to me. My smile dissolved as I was brought back to my reality.

I was Tris, not Courtney. I lived here with my boyfriend, Toby. We had been together since I was young and 5 years later here we are. He inherited his father's company when he died and, at 25, he was the youngest president of a company that size in the world. I was proud of him sure, but he was away a lot on business and this house was too big and lonely. I had fallen for his charm when I was 17. His smile had the ability to wash away all of my worries, and he loved me with such intensity I couldn't help but be swept off my feet. He wasn't always the man he was now. Time changed him.

I looked to the grandfather clock in the hallway, 6.15am. He would be home in a few hours from his trip. I sighed and made my way down the hall and up the lavish staircase to the main bathroom. I turned on the steam shower and let it heat up when I pulled off my dress. The velvet material fell in a pile on the floor when I stepped into the shower. I caught sight of myself in the mirror that spanned the entire length of wall across from the shower. There was no room in this house that I could escape my reflection. My eyes took in the mess of my dark brown hair. Where it would usually be smooth and silky, hanging half way down my back it stuck out in odd directions. I smiled at myself in the mirror, remembering the feeling of Eric's sturdy hands in my hair, as I removed the remaining pine needles. My smile faded when my gaze drifted down to the rest of my body. There is only so long you can hide behind long-sleeved, high-necked clothes. In here I couldn't hide. My usually porcelain skin turned purple and yellow around my neck where the bruise was starting to fade. The tops of my arms were tainted that same deep purple. I placed my hands over the bruises, matching up my fingers with where his had left a mark. After a few years the shock of seeing bruises on my body faded but then there are the scars. Bruises fade but scars don't. I force myself to look at every scar, every place where my skin raises in pale white bumps.

I have days where I fool myself into thinking I deserve better. Where I drink to forget my every day and am excessively reckless. That was what last night was, I remind myself. Silly and reckless. I force myself to look at every cut, bruise and scar. I make myself remember when he grabbed me by the shoulders and shook me hard for being stupid. The cuts on stomach where he hit me so hard it broke the skin. The ever fading bruise on my neck before it was replaced by the same bruise over and over when he got carried away during sex. He always apologised. He was always sorry. I relived the hurt, I needed to feel the pain to know this was real. I dreamed things would different but this was all I knew.

I ran the soap over my body, the muscles relaxing under the hot water. I was massaging the shampoo through my hair when I heard the front door burst open. Shit. He was home early, and I wasn't dressed and hadn't sorted his breakfast yet. I quickly rinsed my hair and got out of the shower. Grabbing one of the huge, fluffy white towels from the cupboard I wrapped myself up in it and ran down to greet him. Better that then ignore his homecoming in favour of getting dressed, I had tried that last time and this was the lesser of two evils.

"You're home! How was your trip?" I put on my best smile and went to hug my man, but he took a step back when I got close to him.

"Why aren't you dressed? Have you forgotten about the business dinner I'm hosting here today, I bet you haven't even started getting anything ready yet." His voice grew louder as he got madder. "Pathetic, I'm in the door five minutes and you've already wound me up!"

"I'm sorry, I overslept. I'm just out of the shower." I tripped over my words in the hurry to get them out. His hand was poised, ready to slap me. "Here, honey, give me your bags and I'll get them unpacked then make a start on lunch preparations. You go and relax, take a nap. You must be exhausted after your trip."

I cringed at how hard I was trying. I used to be tough and we used to argue. Now I just take what I deserve from him. It's better if I don't fight him. He lowered his hand and threw his bags down in front of me as he went to relax in the bedroom. I picked up the bags with shaking hands and unpacked his things in his dressing room beside our bedroom. I made my way through to mine and got dressed. If we're having company I'd better dress nice. I picked out his favourite lingerie – black and red lace bra and thong with black suspenders. He always wanted me the first night back from a trip. I knew what to expect. I decided on a long-sleeved, figure hugging black dress that stopped just at my knees. He always loved to show off my figure to the guys from the office. I paired it with the diamond jewellery Toby bought me for my birthday. He liked to see me in things he had paid for, he liked reminding me how good he was to me. The dress didn't cover all the bruises but they were faded enough that make-up would do the trick. I finished off the look with ruby red lipstick. His favourite.

It was late afternoon and I was almost finished making the dinner, the table was all set and I heard Toby stirring upstairs. I was putting the roast back in the oven when I heard something being smashed upstairs and it made me jump. My hand only touched the metal of the oven for a second but it was enough to burn my skin. I shut the oven door and ran over to the tap and starting running the cold water over my hand. I blinked back the tears as Toby rounded the corner into the kitchen. His tie was in his hand and he looked frustrated.

"I couldn't get this fucking tie to tie properly" He growled at me. I shut off the tap and dried my hands as I made my way over to him.

"Here, let me help" I took the tie and tied it, smoothing down his collar and leaving my hands on his chest. I smiled up at him hoping he was calming down. I watched as the anger left his eyes and saw a flash of the man I knew in there. He leaned down and kissed me. It was gentle. He took my hands in his and noticed the burn when I winced at his touch.

"What happened?" he asked, his concern real for once. I told him it was nothing, just the oven. He took my hand and led me through the couch to sit down whilst he went to get the first aid box I kept in the cupboard off the lounge. He took my hand in his as he softly rubbed cooling antiseptic over the burn, the motion numbing the pain. He was so gentle, as if he was holding a delicate butterfly in his hands.

"Better?" I could hear the worry in his voice. His eyes locked on mine and he smiled when I nodded. He leaned forwards and placed a loving kiss on my forehead. This is why I stayed.

The doorbell rang, bringing us both out of our reverie. Toby stood to answer it and I went to the kitchen to clean up. I could hear Toby laughing with someone in the lounge. I removed my apron and made sure I looked presentable and walked through to bring our guests a drink of champagne. Glasses in hand I looked up to Toby as he introduced the man and his date before me. She was petite and stunning. She knew she was beautiful, you could tell by the way she was looking down at me. I looked to him. He was the same height as Toby but looked bigger and stronger. Toby sported a professional haircut, his brown hair a few shades lighter than my own and this man's blond hair was short. Their suits almost identical and impeccably tailored. For the second time in the past 24 hours my eyes were drawn to his lip ring.

Eric.

The glasses of champagne slipped out of my hand and smashed on the marble floor. The anger swept back into Toby's eyes as I stood glued to the spot. Eric's eyes were fixed to me, mouth slightly agape in shock.


	3. Chapter 3

I went to start cleaning up the spill when Toby offered to take our guests through to get a replacement drink.

"Here let me help you" It was Eric. Even in his expensive suit he was on his hands and knees helping me clean up. Toby told him not to bother, that I'd manage but he said it was no problem. He wasn't intimidated by Toby, he was his own man. He helped me onto my feet when we were done, his date and Toby were through in the Dining room, sipping champagne and discussing the artwork on the wall. _God, she was so pretentious._ I thought to myself, instantly my cheeks flushing red with embarrassment at my jealously towards her.

"Hi Courtney. Oh sorry, Tris was it?" He smiled down at me, his eyes meeting mine and making me lose focus. What was I supposed to do? He was the fantasy and now here he was in my reality. I smiled back at him feeling nervous and racked with guilt. He wasn't accusing me, he smiled at me intrigued by the whole thing. His hand still held mine from his helping me up and I didn't want to let go.

"So Eric here is the new VP of the company, we were headhunting him for months before he finally accepted my offer." Toby smiled brightly, ever the perfect host. He slipped his hand down my back and rested his palm around my waist. I pulled my hand from Eric's. "It's lovely to meet you both, I'm glad you could make it to our dinner" I said politely, trying to avoid eye contact with everyone, afraid it would give me away. Toby's hand tightened on my waist, squeezing so hard, his nails diggings in slightly. I bit the inside of my cheek to keep from crying. He did this when he was angry but we were in company.

"Tris is a writer, nothing published as yet so not a proper writer" Toby laughed along with Eric's date, Poppy. Eric chuckled awkwardly at their comment. I excused myself to the kitchen making up an excuse about checking the food. I shut the doors behind me and let out the breath I had been holding. I leaned over the counter on my elbows, my face in my hands as I tried to sort out my thoughts. I heard the doorbell chime a few times but I stayed where I was, taking deep breaths. Willing the tears away. I was aware of the door sliding open and shut again, I shot up and tried to look busy so Toby wouldn't be mad.

"Dinner is almost ready, honey. I'm so sorry about the glasses –" I turned round. It was Eric standing there, his hands casually in his pockets.

"Oh sorry, I thought you were Toby" I explained, wiping the counter to keep my hands busy.

"It's alright, Tris" I loved the way my name sounded on his lips. He raised his eyebrow as if looking for an explanation. I ignored it.

"Why aren't you with everyone else?" I asked, the words almost getting stuck in my throat.

"The other guests are arriving and Poppy knew a few of them so they were getting caught up" He rolled his eyes and I couldn't help but the laugh that escaped my lips.

"So…Last night" he started, unsure how to phrase his question. I saw a small blush run up his neck and into his cheeks and it made him look endearing.

"I…It's not something I usually do" I explained, my voice low. "Toby was out of town and…" I didn't know how to explain why last night happened.

"It's OK. I've worked with him for a month now and I can tell he's hard work. Quite the temper, he can be pretty intimidating too. I understand." I looked away from his gaze. How could I explain without telling him everything? He couldn't know. He will just have to think I am a horrible person and I will just have to live with that.

His understanding made the guilt overwhelm me. I loved Toby but last night with Eric was different. I have to try so hard with Toby to see even a second of the man who I fell for. With Eric it was simple, if felt right. I was conflicted. Deep down I was a good person. I didn't want to cheat but I was so lonely and missed the simple things. Someone to talk to me like I'm not an idiot. Someone to respect me.

The way Eric looked at me and the fact we were alone together made it easy to forget anyone else even existed. It would only take a few steps to be standing right in front of him, where I could put my arms around his neck and pull him down until our lips met. I shook my head, trying to shake those thoughts from my head.

"So, Poppy seems lovely." I lie, trying to focus on anything but Eric's lips where he played with the metal ring.

He laughed, "You're a terrible liar, Tris. She is… bearable. I usually take her to business dinners like these because she is good at flattering the right people and talking me up to everyone." he admits.

I couldn't hide my relief in the fact that she was nothing more to him than a façade. He must have seen because a cheeky smirk crossed his face. His eyes got dark and serious as he closed the gap between us. His hand cradled my face and he leaned down closer and closer. I could feel his breath on my lips, my heart raced. My legs threatened to fall beneath me and I swayed slightly. His other hand went straight to the small of my back to steady me. I bit my lip and looked up at him through my eyelashes. His thumb pulled my lip out from beneath my teeth.

"He doesn't make you happy." he stated, I nodded. "I can see how tense being around him makes you. You are so nervous when he is near you, nothing like that girl I saw last night" He was right. Admitting it was harder than I expected. It felt like I was admitting defeat, letting go. On the other hand how could I not acknowledge the fact that I felt closer to the man in front of me after one night than I did to someone I'd been with for years. He looked at me like I was the most precious thing to him, like I mattered. "You deserve someone better. You don't have to settle for someone who keeps you down" Tears started to pool in my eyes, as he closed the last few inches between our lips. My hands rested on his chest as he kissed me tenderly. I could feel the tangible affection behind his touch. Pulling back to look at him I caressed his cheek with my hand and tried to convey everything I was feeling in that moment. I laughed, noticing his lips were stained red by my lipstick. I wiped my thumb over his lips to remove the evidence of our kiss. He smiled at my touch, pulling me closer to him, softly tracing patterns on my back with the tips on his fingers.

 _Beep. Beep. Beep._

The timer on the oven startled me and I jumped back. The dinner. I had almost forgotten. His hands were still on me. I told him to let Toby know dinner was ready. His name felt like acid in my mouth.

"Relax. Just get through tonight." He kissed my forehead and left the kitchen like I had told him.

I busied myself taking food out of the oven and plating it up. Roast turkey with all the trimmings. It was Toby's favourite and he always liked to show off the fact I could cook.

Everyone is already in their seats when she walks through to the dining room. There are eight of us in total, four couples. Toby is at the head of the table, and I'll be at the other end. At least I could avoid him throughout the meal. I sighed, relived, as I served everyone their meals. It was met with a lot of praise of how great it looked, and surprise that I was actually good at anything from what Toby had told them all.

"Cheers everyone!" Toby announced, raising his glass of wine as I took my seat. "Thank you all for coming, let's dig in" I smiled at all the guests as I joined in raising my glass. Eric was to my right and Poppy to my left. The others were usual suspects at Toby's dinners. They were old and conceited board members in his company. I took a big swig of the wine, trying to calm my nerves. I felt Eric's hand squeeze my knee under the table. I looked to him and he smiled supportively, mouthing that it would be OK.

I was grateful for his presence here. It was the push I needed. I had never had a great deal of friends and after Toby inherited the company we moved hundreds of miles across the country to be closer to the offices. I knew nobody here and my parents were so far away they didn't visit often. He convinced me to pursue my writing but that meant I worked from home and had little income, he supported me completely. I was isolated and he was all I had. When you put everything you have into one person it is a terrifying prospect to not have them anymore. However, it was time. I had suffered for so long. All I needed was a little help and now I that had met Eric I knew I could do this. I would tell Toby tonight. No. I had to be smart. If I left now I would be in the same position – relying fully on someone else. I needed a week. Then I could gather together some money and I would have to only depend on myself. I felt more confident as I formulated the plan in my head. I needed to be resilient.

Dinner flew by and soon everybody was leaving. Eric was the last to leave, he was torn. I could see he really didn't want to leave me here. Toby was occupied with saying goodbye to Poppy, his eyes lingering over her body. He made me sick. I leaned in to hug Eric goodbye.

"Meet me tomorrow in our place" I whispered, my voice low enough for only him to hear. I pulled back and hugged Poppy goodbye too as to not arouse suspicion.

"It was great meeting you Tris, I hope to see you soon" I saw a glint in Eric's eye as he turned to leave. I smiled back, biting my lip.

Then the door thumped shut, and we were alone.


	4. Chapter 4

**This chapter was quite hard for me to write so prior warning it might be hard to read.**

I turned to look at Toby, relieved to see that he didn't look as furious as before. I should have known it would be short lived. He was never pleased for long.

He wrapped his arms around me, hugging me to him. I tried not to cringe at his touch. "I think that went well, apart from your little _accident_."

"What do you mean?" I shouldn't have questioned him. He pushed me away from him. I staggered back almost losing my footing. This angered him. "It's obvious you smashed those glasses on purpose, don't lie to me Tris." I didn't say anything. "You are always looking for attention, it's pathetic." He looked at me with disgust as he turned to head upstairs. "Clear up and come to bed when you're done."

The thought of being near him made me feel ill, let alone sleeping with him. _Just breathe, you've done this for years._ I reminded myself. Yes, I had loved him so sex used to come easy, but now things had changed and when he had been drinking things were worse– and he drank frequently. He was never gentle and always selfish. The only reprieve I got was when he was away on business trips, I had taken to sleeping in the guest room where the sheets didn't smell like him. I let his nasty words wash away as I took my time clearing up from the dinner, washing all the dishes by hand before drying and putting them away. I made sure each champagne flute and wine glass was polished to within an inch of their life. Eventually everything was done and I turned off all the lights downstairs as I made my way upstairs, hoping he had already fallen asleep.

He was ready and waiting for me when I walked l into the bedroom. Glass of wine in hand as he lay on the bed naked. I stood in the doorway, unable to move. I wanted to run but I knew I couldn't. "What are you doing? Come here" I remained where I was. He sighed, exasperated by my lack of cooperation. He got up and walked towards me, staggering slightly. He reached out and turned me around so my back was to him. His hands went to the zip on the back of my dress, he struggled with it and pulled too hard. The dress ripped under his hands as he hauled it off of me. I stood in front of him in my lingerie. I took a deep breath and shut down. This was not the first time. If I gave in I would be numb and it would be quick. If knew that if I dared to refuse him the pain would be so much worse. He wasted no time in tearing off my bra and pants, shredding my stockings in the process. I was bare, vulnerable. He pressed himself against my back, I could feel that he was already hard. He roughly pulled my hair to the side and crudely kissed down my neck. His hand groping my front as he turned himself on more and more. It never takes him long to get going. He took my hand and dragged me over to the bed, pushing me forwards so I was bent over in front of him. I dug my nails into the palm of my hand and squeezed my eyes shut, focussing only on that pain. He thrust into me, his movements sloppy from the alcohol. Tears slid down my face as he pushed into me again and again. I bit the inside of my cheek so hard all I could taste was blood. Soon it was all over. He moaned loudly and slumped against my back. I could feel his warmth inside of me. He pulled out of me and lay down on his back, already half asleep.

I stifled the tears "I'm going to go get cleaned up before bed." I told him, he grunted in reply. I walked to the bathroom, locking the door tightly behind me. I felt so repulsive, I needed to wash the smell of him off of me. I started the shower and got in straight away. I didn't care if the water was cold, I needed to get clean. I scrubbed and scrubbed at my skin until it was red raw. I caught my reflection in the mirror. My lipstick was smudged over my face, mascara running down my cheeks. My skin was sore from scrubbing and so scarlet that all my bruises blended in, but I could still feel them there. I leaned back against the cold tiles as I tried to catch my breath. I slid down until I was sitting on the floor of the shower, bringing my knees up to my chest. I didn't know how to feel. I felt numb. I rested my chin on my knees as the tears and the water from the shower ran together. I couldn't tell how hard I was crying until I felt my body shaking, gripped by pain.

My tears ran dry as the bathroom steamed up. I had been in here too long but couldn't bring myself to my feet to leave. I leaned my head back against the wall and closed my eyes and thought of Eric. I could almost feel his lips on mine. The way his strong arms felt on my body – firm but gentle at the same time. He would never hurt me. His touch was soft and affectionate. I remembered the way he pressed his body against mine. My hand trailed down my body, between my legs as I started to touch myself softly. Heat radiated over my body. The sweet taste of his tongue, his hands in my hair. I could see him behind my eyelids coming closer, slowly unbuttoning his shirt as he looked at me with lust in his eyes. He kissed me softly, pulling my bottom lip between his teeth making me moan. My fingers worked faster.

"Eric!" I moaned as I came undone. Pleasure sweeping through my body, soothing all of my muscles one by one.

I sighed as I relaxed. I was exhausted – emotionally and physically. I closed my eyes as I let myself drift off


	5. Chapter 5

I was awoken by loud banging and muffled shouting, my eyes fluttering open. I was disorientated and as my eyes adjusted all I could see was white as if I was inside a cloud. I moved my hand in front of my face and couldn't see it. In the back of my mind I could hear running water. _Shit_. I had fallen asleep in the shower and the steam had completely enveloped the entire bathroom. I felt along the wall to steady myself as I stood up. My hands found the metal handle and switched off the shower. The shouting became clearer.

"Tris, open this door. What the fuck are you doing?" Toby's shouts were furious and I had no idea how long I had been in here.

I slowly made my way towards the door, my hands out in front of me so that I wouldn't knock into anything. My hands felt the soft cotton material of my robe hung on the back of the door and pulled it down from the hook. I wrapped myself in it, tying the belt tight. My fingers found the lock on the door and fiddled with it trying to unlock it. The metal was slippery from the steam and my fingers slipped a few times before I managed to unlock the door. As soon as the lock was undone the door flew open, revealing Toby standing over me, furious. Steam escaped the bathroom and clouded around us. I saw violence in his eyes.

"I have work in an hour, what are you doing?" He snapped at me. I couldn't make any words come out. Even if I could, I didn't know what to say. I averted my eyes, focusing on a spot on the floor as Toby continued his tirade. He was going to be late because of me; how long had I been in here; the steam better now have caused any damage.

"Look at me when I'm talking to you!" My ears hurt from the volume of his yell. My eyes met his and the way his face was contorted with hatred frightened me.

"I'm –" I opened my mouth to apologise but my apology was cut short as the back of his hand made contact with the side of my face. Pain seared through me. My jaw ached and I could feel blood trickle down my chin. He looked down at me as if I my mere presence in front of him was repulsive, and then his eyes softened. His hand went to my cheek, caressing gently.

"See what you made me do?" His smile was almost sincere. I nodded. He leaned down and kissed my forehead. I felt bile rising in my throat at his casual touch. "Now go get dressed and I'll see you for dinner tonight." He sauntered towards the bedroom to get showered in the ensuite. My anger spiked – all of this was unnecessary. I let my rage fuel me, keeping the tears at bay as I dressed slowly. Making sure he would have left for work before I had to leave my dressing room. I dressed casually in dark jeans and a grey jumper, discarding the blood stained robe in the laundry basket.

I heard the front door shut with a thud. I peered around the corner, checking that he had left. My breathing evened out as I made my way downstairs to check the locks on the front door. I sighed. _Just get through today and you'll see Eric tonight._ I repeated to myself over and over. I walked through the lounge towards the kitchen. It was hard not to catch my reflection in the enormous mirror that hung on the wall in the lounge. My lip was burst open and the line of my jaw was already starting to bruise. The blood had tried on my chin and I brushed it off with the sleeve of my jumper. He was getting reckless. He was usually careful not to hurt my face and he knew I hid all the other bruises and cuts well.

In the kitchen I made myself some breakfast – pancakes were my favourite. The routine mixing of the ingredients usually relaxed me but today I don't think anything could calm me. I ignored my shaking hands as I plated up my food and poured myself some coffee. I sat staring at my food for what felt like an age. My stomach retched at the thought of eating so I cleared up, working slowly to fill in the hours until tonight.

I moved upstairs to my office. I sank down into the large, brown, leather chair which faced my desk. The cool leather pulled the heat from my skin. My heart beat would not slow no matter how many deep, soothing breaths I took. I was on edge and the temperature of my skin was proof of this. I looked absentmindedly around the room. This was the only room in the house where I was allowed to have any of my things on display. One wall was floor to ceiling bookshelves, full to bursting with all the books I loved to read over and over again. On the opposite wall hung a painting my mum had made me when I moved here. It was of the view over our old house, the trees and lake glistening the light of a sunrise. I often just stared into that painting and got lost in another time. The blinds were shut tight on the window, I liked the silence and refuge the darkness gave. On my desk were photographs in wooden frames – photos of me with my family.

I glanced to the clock on my desk. 12.15pm. I slammed the clock facedown as I exhaled deeply. Today was taking forever to pass. I pulled my chair up closer to the desk as I opened up my laptop. I was in charge of all of our finances. Not because Toby trusted me enough to let me, but because it was something he hated so he pawned it off on me. He made so much money it was senseless. He couldn't spend it as fast as it came in. I looked through his account, for once I was pleased that he was so self-absorbed. He would never notice a chunk of money going missing. I made a transfer to my account, big enough to help me get settled in my new life but not enough he would ever notice. This was easier than I thought it would be. I could leave in a few days rather than a whole week. The thought of leaving this place behind was overwhelming. After so many years I would finally be free. Nobody holding me down or telling me I wasn't good enough. I was better than him. I was a good person and he had underestimated me.

A huge smile spread over my face as I pictured my life without Toby. I could do anything I had ever wanted. I hadn't realised until now how much he had been holding me back, isolating me from everyone around me. He made me rely on him and only him. He had made it as difficult as he could for me to even contemplate leaving. I thought about my life with Eric. I had just met him but things felt right. He saw me for who I am and didn't make me feel small. He didn't shut me down, he woke me up. I smiled at the image of Eric before me. His happy smile mirrored mine. I blushed as his lips touched mine. My fingers traced the feeling on my lips, they tingled under my touch. I winced as my fingers touched the cut in my bottom lip. I was brought out of my daydream brusquely. Any smile on my face vanished. I needed to see him now.

I could practically feel the cogs turning in my head as I thought how I could see him sooner than tonight. I didn't want to be here when Toby was home for dinner. My fingers dialed the office and the familiar voice of their receptionist answered after a few rings.

"Hello, Eaton Industries. Lynn speaking" Her chirpy voice echoed down the phone.

"Hi there, I'm looking to speak to Eric. I believe he is your new vice president and this is a very urgent matter. Could you put me through to him please?" I tried to sound as professional as possible. The realisation that I didn't even know Eric's last name made my heart race. Was I crazy for doing this?

The phone went quiet for a second, "Hello, this is Eric Coulter" My heart threatened to beat out of my chest at the sound of his voice. I forced my words out before I could think about it.

"Hi, I can't wait until tonight you need to come now. How quick can you be there?" My words tumbled over each other on the way out.

"Tris? What's wrong? You don't sound OK" Concern was evident in his voice. I didn't know how to explain my urgency. He seemed to understand without me elaborating. "Ten minutes. I'll be there in ten minutes."

I hung up, holding the phone to my chest I replayed his words in my head. _I'll be there in ten minutes._ I ran down stairs, not even attempting to suppress my excitement. I grabbed my boots, jacket and keys and headed out the door.


	6. Chapter 6

_Eric_

I did not want to leave her there. I felt lost as soon as she was out of my sight.

It had been a crazy few days to say the least. Clubs are not my usual scene but I had needed to get out of my head. It had been a stressful week at work and I couldn't relax at my place with all neglected paper work lying strewn across my desk. Don't get me wrong, it was a huge honour being headhunted for the VP position of such a huge company but nothing can make up for the fact that the boss is an asshole. It made work miserable. You could even see his assistant visibly shake with anxiety anytime she was called into his office. He is never happy, and it was always someone else's fault. I'm pretty sure the only reason he has never spoken to me in the same derogatory way that seems second nature to him is because I am a much bigger build than him. He wouldn't dare talk to me like that, I wouldn't take that from anybody. He even is nicer to people when I'm around, he definitely needs to be taken down a peg. Anyway, after my contract is up in a few months I am out of here. I would happily move to a lower paying company if it meant not having to put up with his shit.

I'd been at that club before when I was younger but after being there again for only a little while it was evident it was no longer my kind of place. I just stood at the bar drinking my whisky, contemplating leaving and then she walked up beside me. I hadn't been able to get her out of my head since. I couldn't believe it when she was at the dinner last night. She wasn't the same though. The feisty, confident girl from the night before cowered as my boss' hand wrapped around her waist. His charming smile didn't fooling me, he was bad news. Her once beaming grin replaced with a meek smile that didn't quite reach her eyes. Those beautiful blue-green eyes didn't sparkle the same as they had with me.

I was sitting at my desk in my office at work but was having trouble actually getting anything done. _Tonight I would see her again_. My tongue fiddled with my lip ring as I remember how her lips tasted. The way her small hands felt soft against my skin. The minty smell of her hair as I tangled my hands it…

"Sir, you have a call on line one" The voice came from the phone and broke through my daydream. I cleared my throat and told her to put the call through. Reaching for the phone I straightened up in my seat.

"Hello, this is Eric Coulter" my voice went straight into professional mode. I recognised the voice on the other end instantly. Tris. Her voice threatened to break and I could feel the panic behind her words. I needed to get to her now. I told her I'd be there soon and stood up, grabbing my coat and car keys I headed out of my office.

I tried to move through the office quickly but it was busy, a sea of people moving around. They were all in my way, couldn't they see I was in a hurry? I sidestepped a few employees chatting about nothing important outside the elevator as I pushed the down button. I pressed it a few more times, willing the elevator to hurry up. I needed to get to her. Finally the elevator came and I got in, pushing the ground floor button and waiting for the doors to shut. They began to close but someone put their hand in to stop them.

"Hold the elevator" I heard an all too familiar voice call out. Tobias.

He got in and stood beside me, smiling that infuriatingly charming smile at me. "In a hurry are we?" He chuckled. Everything about this man irritated me.

"No Sir, just heading out to lunch" I lied, gritting my teeth as I resisted the urge to scream. I felt the elevator start to move down and sighed, a little bit of relief flowing through me.

Tobias stood there casually, his hands reaching up and straightening his tie. I noticed one of his hands was purple and red as a new bruise formed. I was not surprised, he had probably punched his desk out of anger - It wouldn't have been the first time.

"Ah, me too. I'm going to surprise Tris for lunch." he stated smugly. I wanted to wipe that smug smile off of his stupid face. Instead I smiled as sincerely as I could muster. "Sounds lovely, I'm sure she'll just love that." I lied. Maybe I should feel guilty but I didn't. She deserved better than him. I could be better than him, for her.

The elevator moved slower than I ever thought could be possible. Being stuck in here with him was not helping time move quickly either. After what felt like a lifetime the doors opened and I almost ran from the elevator to the carpark but remembered who I was with.  
"Have a nice lunch, Sir." I smiled at him and waved as I tried to walk as fast as I could without flat out sprinting.

I reached my car, quickly got in and threw my things onto the back seat. The engine roared to life as I sped out of the carpark and down the street. I broke every speed limit on the way to meet her. The panic in her voice replayed in my head making my foot push down harder on the accelerator. It should have taken at least fifteen minutes to drive there. I was there in five. I didn't even lock the car as I jogged towards the familiar line of trees at the end of the street. This place looked different in daylight. I found the opening in the trees with ease and pushed through the branches in to the opening, probably ruining my suit in the process but I didn't care.

She was already there when I walked into the opening. Sitting on the rock, her legs pulled up to her chest, her chin resting on her knees. She stood when she heard me walking closer to her. I stopped in my tracks. She had bags under her eyes, her face wasn't the usual porcelain – it was almost grey, and her cheek was a darkening shade of purple. Her hands were in front of her, playing nervously with the sleeves of her jacket. She looked up at me through her eyelashes with sad eyes as my gaze dropped to her lips. Her bottom lip was swollen and split at one side. I thought back to Tobias, the matching purple bruise he wore on his hand. My heart stopped.


	7. Chapter 7

_Eric_

She tried to shrink herself, hide from my gaze. I was still staring at her face, mouth open in shock. How could somebody do this to her? To anyone for that matter. Rage boiled inside of me at the thought of him laying his hands on her. I shook my head. My stares were making her uncomfortable, I hated that. I closed the gap between us and wrapped her in my arms. Her body was tense but I could feel her slowly relax into me as I stroked her hair whispering to her that everything was going to be ok. Her arms wrapped around my waist as she buried her head in my chest.

"I'm sorry I called, I didn't know what else to do" Her voice was sad and quiet, it made my heart ache for her.

I pulled back so I could look at her. I knew exactly what we were going to do, there was no question in my mind about it.

"You can't go back there." I stated. She was about to argue but stopped herself, nodding in agreement. "I know you must be scared but you are safe, I will not hurt you." I promised her leaning down to kiss the top of her head gently. I told her she was going to come and stay with me until she figured out what she wanted to do. She needed a safe place to gather her thoughts together and I was more than willing to be that for her. Her body sagged against me as tears racked through her. I sat back on the rock and pulled her onto my lap, tightening my arms around her.  
"I'm so sorry, it's just nobody else knows and it's all so overwhelming" She explained through her sobs. I help her tighter and ran my hand up and down her back in an attempt to soothe her.

"Stop apologising, I understand." I lifted her chin to look at me, smiling reassuringly down at her as my thumb wiped away her tears. "If what you need right now is to cry, then let it out. I'll be right here" She put her head back on my chest and I continued stroking her back, drawing little patterns with the tips on my fingers.

We had sat like this for hours the other night. She had occasionally looked up at me, a flirty glint in her eyes as she bit her lip. It made me sick that that same lip was now all bloody. She had been exuberant. I remember the way she smiled and laughed as she danced, completely carefree. The way she giggled and bit her lip had made a shiver run down my spine and the hair on the back of my neck stand on end. Now she lay broken before me. He had broken her. I gritted my teeth together as I tried to keep my anger in check. I wanted to find him and break him. I wanted him to feel the pain he had put her through

 _I don't know how, but I will fix her._ I promised myself. Even if all I could do was be there for her as she repaired herself.

I felt her body becoming heavier and her breathing grow slower as she fell asleep, she must have been exhausted. Relief flooded through me. It was heart breaking to hear her cry like that, I don't know if I could have taken much more of it right now.

I am so thankful that she wasn't scared of me too. I tried to imagine myself in her position and it would be easy to retreat into herself and be scared of everyone around her. She trusted me and that filled me with pride. I am so thankful she called me.

I slowly got to my feet lifting her with me, careful not to wake her. She looked so peaceful in sleep. I walked through the trees and back to my car. I must have looked insane to those looking on. A guy in a suit coming out of the trees carrying a girl in his arms. I didn't care. I wanted to get back to my place so she could be comfortable and sleep, she needed it. I placed her gently in the passenger seat and leaned across to do up her seatbelt. I smiled to myself when she clung to me, reluctant to let go me go.

"Tris. I'll be right beside you in a minute" I whispered to her as she stirred in her sleep, curling up in the seat, her hands balled into fists under her chin as she settled in.

I went round to the driver's side and got in, put my seatbelt on and started the engine. I looked over to Tris and saw she was shivering. I cranked up the heating and waited until she warmed up before pulling away from the curb.

I didn't live too far away but I drove slower than I normally would, afraid I would wake Tris. I kept stealing looks over at her as I drove. She was beautiful, the lines of stress she wore on her face earlier completely smoothed out. She was so serene, I couldn't bear to disturb her. I pulled into the drive of my house and cut the engine. It was a smaller and less lavish house than the one she was used to but I liked the simple, modern design. It was a little way out of the city and stood alone among the trees, surrounded by luscious grassy fields and wildflowers. It was a modern build, the side was completely glass. I didn't have neighbours for about a mile so privacy wasn't an issue. I liked being away from everything, but it did get lonely.

I watched Tris for a while, unable to bring myself to move her. I jumped as my phone rang loudly in my pocket. I hurried to answer it before it disturbed her. The caller ID showed it was Tobias calling, probably wondering why I wasn't back at the office yet. I couldn't deal with him right now so I put it to voicemail. I squeezed the phone tight in my hand as my fury towards that idiot returned. I have to admit it gave me some slight comic relief that he would have gone home to an empty house, Tris nowhere in sight. I bet he would have been furious. It serves him right.

"Eric, where are we?" She sat upright, rubbing at her eyes as she yawned. Her hair was strewn to one side where she has been lying on it and I felt my anger subside and my muscles relax at how adorable she was. I couldn't be angry when she looked at me like that.


	8. Chapter 8

_Tris_

I got out of the car and stretched my arms out which had become stiff from sleep. I took in my surroundings. The house was beautiful, simple. It was surrounded on three sides by foliage in a way that reminded me of my rock in the trees, my sanctuary. I smiled at the thought that this was now my safe place. Here with Eric. I turned around. In all directions there were fields of flowers. This kinds of isolation felt good. I was used to the feeling alone even when surrounded by people. This was different. This was secluded. A shelter away from the everyday. Eric came around the car, waiting beside me to walk in to the house. The way he looked at me gave me strength. I took his hand in mine and followed him to the front door. He never dropped my hand, even when he struggled with using the key with only one free hand. He held the door open for me as I stepped inside. _It had been a long time since anyone held a door open for me._

Warmth washed over me as Eric closed the door behind us. His home was nothing like what I had become accustomed to – the cold, unyielding prison. Photographs in matching frames spread across the wall in the hallway. Of him laughing with friends, and with family. I looked closer and could pick out which features he got from his mother and which he got from his father. I could feel Eric's eyes studying me as I shrugged off my jacket, hanging it on the hooks by the door. I slipped off my boots and placed then next to all of his shoes on the rack. I went to explore the rest of his home, my hand still trailing him behind me as I go. The lounge looked cosy and the cream couch was big and looked so comfortable, I could imagine myself curling up there with Eric. The carpets felt soft beneath my feet as I made my way to the end of the hall. The rest of the house was just as inviting.

"So what do you want to do?" he took both of my hands in his as he smiled affectionately down at me. "Are you hungry? Need a shower? Want to sleep some more?" he cared so much. I loved that he was concerned about what I wanted. What _did_ I want? Nobody ever asked me that, I wasn't sure what to answer. I did feel a lot better after sleeping off the crying. I just needed to get that out of my system.

"Can I shower? Then –" I stopped. This was all still strange to me. I trusted him, but I was used to being ridiculed for any little thing I did. This might take a lot of getting used. He must have sensed my hesitation as he reached his hand to gently stroke my cheek, being careful to avoid the bruising.

"We can do whatever you want. Absolutely anything, Hell, if you want to go skydiving we can do that. Or even if you want to take a nap that is fine with me." I couldn't help grinning back at his goofy smile. Just being around him made me feel stronger.

"I'm feeling like a movie day on the couch?"

"Sounds perfect." He leaned down and kissed the top of my head. "I'll get you a towel and put the shower on ready for you."

He led me upstairs by my hand, stopping at a cupboard and handing me a big fluffy towel. His bathroom was huge. The shower was to the side, there wasn't a mirror in sight and an enormous bath tub sat right in front of the back wall, which was completely glass. I raised my eyebrow at Eric as he leaning in to start the shower.

He laughed, "Don't worry, nobody can see in. The glass is slightly tinted." He explained.

"I'll leave you to it. If you need me I'll be downstairs."

I stood on my tiptoes and kissed him on the cheek. "Thank you." I said earnestly. I owed him so much already. I didn't want to let him go, but I don't think I'm ready for him to see all of me. I begrudgingly let him leave and shut the door behind him. For the first time in a long time I didn't bother to lock the door. I felt safe here.

I hung the towel over the side of the shower as I made a pile of my clothes on the floor. I stepped under the water and let the heat loosen the knots in my muscles. I reached for Eric's shower gel, it smelled great and there was something I liked about knowing I would smell like him. I washed quickly, hurrying to get back downstairs. I shut off the water and stepped out onto the tiled floor, wrapped the towel around me I went to put my clothes back on. _Shit._ They were all wet, I must have splashed them from the shower. Unbelievable. I hadn't even thought to bring any of my things with me. I didn't intend on leaving today, but it was the look in Eric's eyes that had convinced me. Having someone else know what Toby was like made it oh so real. I had felt so secure in Eric's arms that I never wanted to leave, I wasn't used to that feeling.

I opened the bathroom door just a little bit, the smell of freshly popped popcorn wafted up from the kitchen. I smiled at the thought of Eric downstairs preparing for our movie day. He was so sweet.

"Eric!" I shouted downstairs. I heard him running up the stairs and in seconds he was at the bathroom door.

"What is it? Are you alright?" His eyes were wide as he looked at me trying to assess whether I was OK or not. I noticed he had changed out of his suit and into sweats. I preferred him like this, he looked much more relaxed now.

I held the door, it was open just enough so I could just peer out. "Eh my clothes, they got wet and I don't have anything else with me." I explained, smiling at the look of relief on his face.

"Oh, that's alright you can borrow something of mine to wear until we get your stuff." He smiled his easy smile at me. He disappeared into his bedroom and returned holding out a t-shirt and a pair of his boxers. "Are these OK? Everything else I have wold be too big for you." He scratched the back of his neck anxiously.

Those wouldn't cover my scars. The bruises on my arms, around my neck and my legs. I couldn't breathe. I didn't want him to see that part of me but it was getting harder to avoid. I took a deep breath and took the clothes he held out to me. Closing over the door slightly I pulled the clothes on quickly, and chucked all the wet clothes into the laundry basket in the corner. Eric had turned around to head downstairs when I open the door. He stopped and turned around, taking in all of me. My hair wet and pulled to one side over my shoulder; my skin still slightly pink from the heat of the shower; the bruise peeking out from underneath the collar of his t-shirt, which hung on me like a dress; the barely healed scars covering my forearm and thighs; the red marks barely visible higher up on my arm. He took it all in and looked back at me. I didn't see the pity or disgust in his eyes that I had feared. He looked at me as if he was trying to lend me every ounce of his strength with that one look.


	9. Chapter 9

Eric's gaze returned to my eyes as he walked to me and intertwined his fingers with mine. He leaned down slowly and kissed me lightly, his lips barely grazing mine. He squeezed my hand reassuringly, "You are much stronger than you give yourself credit for." I could hear the sincerity behind his words and it made me believe him. This was tough but one step at a time I would get through this. The hardest part was over. Eric had seen me at my absolute worst but he still accepted me. He still looked at me the same way – as if I was the most important person in the world.

"Come on, let's get our movie on" He smiled a silly grin at me as he played with his lip ring. He instantly took my worries away. I smiled at him and led him downstairs to the couch, "Sit and pick something to watch and I'll get the popcorn. You need anything else?" I stood and shook my head. I picked a movie – one of my favourites I had seen too many times before – and waited until he returned from the kitchen. He looked at me questioningly as I made sit down first so that I could crawl onto his lab and curl up. He pulled a blanket over us and wrapped his arms around me.

"So what did you pick? I hope you don't have bad taste." He leaned down to my ear, "because that would _really_ be a deal breaker" He joked as I felt his lips turn up in a huge grin against my neck. I couldn't help but laugh.

I pulled his face up to look at me, "Hey! I do not have bad taste. Just you wait and see." I shook my finger at him as I jokingly told him off for being mean.

"Bossy." He pondered to himself, biting his lip. "I like it." His comment made me cheeks flush red and I buried my head in his chest, laughing embarrassedly. He kissed the top of my head and I looked up at him, his grin bigger than ever.

He clicked on the movie and I settled my head against his chest so I could see the screen. I liked it here. Eric's fingers ran up and down my arm making me shiver. He stopped and moved his hand flat against the top of my arm. "No." I moaned as I pulled his hand down my arm. "You didn't _need_ to stop." He laughed at my outburst and continued stroking up and down my arm. It relaxes me and I snuggle closer to him.

We sat in a comfortable silence for a while – him trying to catch the pieces of popcorn he threw up in the air and me stifling my laughter when he missed, and he missed a lot.

I couldn't recall the last time I just sat and watched movies. This had been my favourite ever since I was a child. I remembered sitting on the couch with my mum on days I was home from school ill. She would make me soup and we would watch this film. Toby hated it, he thought it was stupid. He thought a lot of things I liked were stupid.

I knew every line to this movie, a sign that I had probably watched it one too many times. I felt Eric's eyes on me but I kept watching the screen.

"Tris?" I looked up at him as my response. "Are you mouthing the words to this film?" He narrowed his eyes at me as he smirked.

"Eh nope." I lied, terribly. I wasn't even a little bit convincing.

"You so were." His laughter was so loud it was contagious. I couldn't help but laugh too. "You are adorable, Tris." He stopped laughing, his face serious as he looked at me with such emotion it took my breath away. He cupped my face with his hands and ran his thumb over my lips. He leaned in so close I could feel his heavy breathing on my skin. My heart raced as I closed the gap between our lips. His touch was so tender but I needed more. My hands snaked around his neck and up into his hair tugging slightly, his breath hitching and his mouth opening slightly. Our tongues found each other as I pulled him closer to me. I shrugged the blanket covering us off and swung my leg round so I was straddling him. His hands trailed down my back and to my hips, tugging me closer to him. I could feel his arousal pressing against me and I deepened our kiss, making him moan against me as I took his lip between my teeth. His hands grabbed my ass and lifted me up and off of him as he twisted us round, laying me on my back on the sofa and leaning over me. He was breathing fast as he looked at me, a longing in his eyes, melting away any nervousness I felt. I pulled him down to me capturing his lips with mine. His fingers worked their way up underneath the t-shirt I was wearing, tickling my skin and causing a giggle to escape my lips. Eric's lips moved to my neck as he kissed gently along my jaw. His hand pushing up at my t-shirt as it rose above my waist. He leaned back and stared down at me, his lips going straight to the scars on my stomach. Moving slowly upwards, kissing every bruise, every mark and every scar as if he was kissing away my pain. It one swift movement my t-shirt was on the floor and he continued kissing every ache on my body. He reached my neck and kissed up my jaw, his lips then hovering above my own. He smirked as he brought his lips close to mine but never touching. He kissed back down my body, slipping down the boxers I was wearing as he moved further and further down. I pushed my hips upwards so he could slide them off and discard them on the floor. His lips sucked at my hip bone and worked down my thigh getting dangerously close to where I needed him most.

His lips were back on mine as my fingers tugged at the hem of his t-shirt. He leaned back and pulled the t-shirt over his head, our lips only losing contact for a second. My fingers traced over the tattoos that covered his skin, memorising them. I almost expected his skin to be raised up where the ink was but it was completely smooth. He shivered at my touch, my fingers running up his spine.

"You are beautiful." I heard him whisper beside me as he tugged on my earlobe. I smiled at his words and pushed him back, my hands on his chest. I caught my breath as I got to my feet pulling Eric with me, his hands slid to my waist never leaving me. He looked confused but I saw understanding cross his face as I tugged at the waistband of his sweats. He swiftly took them off leaving him in just his boxers, his hands returning to my waist, pulling me closer to him. "Better?" he asked with a smirk on his face. I nodded, my words lost in my mouth as I took in all of Eric. I grabbed his hand and led him towards the stairs. Before even I reached the first step Eric had scooped me up in his arms, my hands going around his neck to hold on as I squealed with surprise. He had a ridiculously happy grin on his face and laughing with him was unavoidable as she carried us to the bedroom.

He sat on the bed, letting me straddle him again. I grinned as I pushed him back down on the bed getting on top of him. I kissed down his neck, sucking slightly. He moaned as I continued down his body teasing him until he couldn't take it anymore and flipped us over so he was on top. His hands caressed my face as he looked into my eyes. I thought my chest was going to burst with all the emotions I was feeling right now. Eric leaned in and kissed me slowly as he pushed into me. Giving me a second to adjust he pushed in again slowly. His lips were soft on mine and his thumb tenderly stroked over my jaw. I could feel myself beginning to come undone as he continued his torturingly slow pace. I lifted my hips to meet his every thrust and as he moaned my name pleasure exploded throughout my body.

He rolled onto his side and tugged down the covers on the bed, pulling them over us as hugged me into his chest. There were no words. I had never felt so loved. I rested my head on his chest and traced his tattoos with the tips on my fingers as he ran his hands delicately though my hair. I closed my eyes, never wanting to leave this moment.


	10. Chapter 10

I pulled up outside of my house and got out of the car. Straightening up my suit and tie I walked towards the door. I couldn't wait to see the surprise on Tris' face. She would be so pleased to see me. I felt bad that she had angered me this morning and wanted us to make up. I knew _exactly_ how she could make it up to me…I smirked at the thought. I unlocked the door and called out, "Honey, I'm home!" My words echoed around me. No reply. She is probably in the kitchen already making lunch. I smiled to myself as I walked through to greet her, stopping short in the doorway when I was met with another empty room.

Rage began to course through me as I searched through the house and couldn't find Tris anywhere. Why did she always have to infuriate me? Why couldn't she just do what was needed of her. I was surprising her for lunch and she isn't even here. Where the fuck was she? I called her mobile what felt like a hundred times but no answer. She never thought about anybody but herself. I worked extremely hard to give her anything she could ever want. So what she had to move away from her family, it was a small price to pay to live the life of luxury I provided for her. _Ungrateful bitch._

I went to her office to find some sort of clue to where she disappeared off to. Her phone sat on the desk beside her laptop. That explains why she wasn't answering when I called. I opened the laptop and slammed it shut again. Password protected. Why the hell did she need to lock anything? Did she not fucking trust me? Her phone lay on the desk unlocked, thank god. I checked the messages. None. The previous calls. All to and from me, except one to my office about an hour ago. Maybe she went to surprise me at the office. I relaxed at the thought. I called the office and the automated message stated the receptionist was away out on her lunch break. _Fuck sake._ I'll call Eric, he should be back by now. She is probably waiting for me at the office. No answer. I threw my phone across the room and it smashed as it hit the wooden floor.

I made my way downstairs again and into the lounge. I poured myself some wine and sat on the couch. I would just wait until she got back. She couldn't have gone far without her phone. She'll be back. She always did this. I didn't _want_ to hurt her but she drove me to it. It was _her_ fault. I thought back to this morning when she almost made me late. My hand ached and a huge bruise was now forming, thanks to her. I took a sip of wine as I took deep breaths. I could feel anger running through my blood, fuelling me.

I poured myself glass after glass as time passed and there was still no sign of Tris. She would pay for this. My hands shook, the fury taking over. I couldn't take it anymore, she should be here by now. I hurled my glass across the room at the mirror on the wall. I watched as both smashed and fell on the cold marble floor in millions of tiny shards. I threw over the coffee table, spilling the last of the wine in the process. I ran upstairs and to her dressing room. I laughed, she would regret making me wait. I started pulling all her clothes off the hangers, ripping the fabrics with my hands. I bought her all of these, she didn't deserve any of it. I yelled and emptied out all of her drawers, jewellery littered the pile of shredded fabric covering the floor. I stormed through to her office. In one swift movement of my arm I shoved everything from her desk onto the floor. I ripped books from the shelves and tore at their pages.

I could see her face now. Walking in here and seeing all of her things – the things I bought for her – destroyed. She needed to be taught a lesson. She should know by now that she can't just leave the house like that. What was she thinking? Who was she even with? She didn't know anyone here. My mind raced at the possibilities. If she had betrayed me I would make her suffer.

"Don't worry, Tris. I'll find out what you've been up to." I chuckled to myself.

She would regret disappointing me.

I locked the door behind me and heading back to the office, smoothing a hand through my hair to fix my dishevelled appearance. She will be greeted by that mess when she eventually gets home and know exactly what's coming from me when I get back for dinner. I couldn't help but smirk.


	11. Chapter 11

I awoke to the sound of running water. My arms felt the silky sheets beside to me, they were empty. I shot up and looked around for Eric. I could faintly hear some really terrible singing down the hall. I laughed to myself, he must be in the shower. I relaxed back into bed wrapping myself in the soft white covers and awaited his return. Smiling to myself, I replayed the events of yesterday. It had been so long since I had laughed like that. Eric was good for me, he brought out the best in me. I was tugged from my daydreaming by the feeling of wet arms wrapping around me.

"Good morning, beautiful." He kissed my cheek as he held me closer to his chest, the drips of water from his hair tickling my neck as they trickled down.

"Hey! You are soaking, get off!" I laughed as his grip on me only tightened, his lips leaving behind a tingling feeling as he kissed down my neck making me giggle more.

"You could have joined me" he whispered against my skin, "but you were still fast asleep" He tutted at me, mockingly.

I couldn't help but smile at how easy this was. His kisses continued as I rolled over to face him. "So, what are our plans for today?" I asked as I wrapped my arms around his neck and he pulled me closer to him. He moaned against my skin in response, never stopping his tirade of kisses, sending a shiver down my spine. I didn't want him to stop but in the real world he needed to go to work and I needed to go and get my stuff from the house.

"Seriously, we can't stay in bed _all day_." He looked up at me then. "Of course we can, Tris." He grinned at me in a way that was so hard to argue with.

"I can blow off work for a little while" I didn't like the idea he might get in trouble because of me, but I loved that he didn't want to leave my side any more than I wanted to leave his.

"OK, but I will need to go and get my stuff." I stated, solemnly. Dread filling me.

"Don't worry, I'll nip out later and go." He offered, his thumb smoothing away the worried crease between my eyebrows. The fact that he would go so that I wouldn't have to face that place again meant more to me than he would know, but I needed to do this. For me. I explained to him and he understood.

"We will both go. Wait until he is at the office first and then we will go." He kissed my forehead and got up to get dressed. His towel falling to the floor as he stood. I couldn't help but stare. His skin was taught over his muscles as he pulled on jeans and a t-shirt. He smirked when he caught me staring, placing a pile of clothes on the foot of the bed.

"I threw your things in the dryer earlier so you would have something to wear today." He was so thoughtful, my hands ran over the pile of clothes which were still warm.

I quickly showered and dressed, meeting Eric down in the kitchen making pancakes. It was nice to see him so domesticated. I perched myself on a stool at counter and narrowed my eyes at him whilst he poured the batter into a pan. "How did you know these were my favourite?"

"Really? Well they're my favourite too so, lucky guess" He laughed, "Come on, eat up and then we'll get your things"

It was only around 7am when we set off, I hadn't realised it was so early. Probably because I had slept so well, which most likely had something to do with Eric holding me tight to him the whole night.

As Eric drove I could see him sneaking peeks over at me as I looked around the car. I didn't notice how impressive it was last time I was in it. It was elegant yet understated. I liked that about him – he didn't flaunt his wealth, shoving it down your throat like Toby always had. It was these differences that made me realise how unhappy I was. Even when I thought Toby and I had had a good day, no fighting, it was never truly good. Not like this.

I was deep in thought when I felt Eric's hand intertwine with mine, "We're almost there. I'll park around the corner so we can watch for him leaving. We don't need to be bumping in to him." I squeezed his hand trying to reassure him that I was OK doing this. I recognized that this was tough on both of us. He was busy giving me all of his strength that I needed to offer him some of mine.

We sat in silence in the car, his thumb rubbing circles on the back of my hand. I almost thought Toby was never going to leave, when he came careening down the street in his car, honking his horn. Eric's hand tightened in mine as I held my breath sure he would see us as he drove past. He steered straight by, otherwise occupied by screaming at an oncoming car. I let out my breath and heard Eric do the same.

I looked up to him, giggling nervously at the close call. "Come on, let's go" I said, squeezing his hand once more before letting it go to get out of the car. He was at my side in an instant and we walked together towards my former home. I had surprised myself. Eric's presence here helped give me strength but I wasn't scared anymore. I knew I could do this, no big deal. I smirked as I realised the change a day could bring. I turned the key in the familiar lock and pushed the door open, stopping short in the doorway when I saw the state of this once so rigidly organised prison. Eric walked into the back of me as I unexpectedly paused. Glass was smashed on the floor, ripped fabric strewn across the couch. I was at a loss for words. Toby must have lost his temper and without me to take it out on had to find something else.

I continued into the house, inspecting the damage. I thought the lounge was bad until I walked into my office. My heart sank. Everything was ruined. I wasn't one to care about material possessions but this was hard to take. The books I loved lay in tatters – many of those gifts from my family encouraging my love for writing. My mother's painting, destroyed. I crumbled to my knees and picked through the glass, retrieving the photographs that had once adorned my desk. This was low, even for Toby.

"I'm so sorry, Tris." Eric's words offered me comfort.

I took a few deep breaths and pulled myself to my feet, pocketing the little photographs I could salvage. I turned away from the destruction and faced Eric, his eyes mirrored my shock and were tinged with sadness. My hand caressed is cheek as I smiled up at him, "It is OK. Things can be replaced. It will be a complete fresh start. Everything will be OK." My words were shaky and I couldn't tell who I was trying to convince more – him or me.

I stood up straighter, holding my head up high as Eric and I walked out of the house hand in hand. As we walked down the street, I left my past behind me and strode towards my future.


End file.
